Page 37 - Overbrook Course Selection Guide

WORLD LANGUAGES

Introduction: The State of New Jersey requires for graduation that every student complete one year of a foreign
language. Two years of the same world language is required by most colleges to satisfy their world language
requirement. Our school offers four years of Spanish and French and three years of American Sign Language.
A student must take and pass each year of a language in sequence to move on to the next level. Third and
fourth years of a world language are offered if there is sufficient student enrollment.

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I
Level: III- Advanced Credits: 05
This beginning level course in American Sign Language (ASL) introduces students to the 4th most used
language in the U.S. ASL is a beautiful, visual language for Deaf/Hard of Hearing people in America and some
parts of Canada. During the course, students will learn basic vocabulary, sentence structure, syntax, and grammar.
Students focus on mastering the basics of fingerspelling, numbers, colors, facial expressions, and common
greetings. Students will also learn conversational/cultural behaviors necessary to hold a beginning- level
conversation in ASL. Introductory information about Deaf culture, history, famous Deaf/hard of hearing people,
technology, current events, and traditions will also be integrated into the course. Course instruction is done with
a combination of Spoken English and ASL ("voices off").

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II
Level: III- Advanced Credits: 05
ASL II is a continuation of the basic aspects of American Sign Language - the beautiful, visual language of
Deaf/Hard of Hearing individuals. Students will increase their knowledge of the language, culture, and history
of American Deaf people. Students will further develop their receptive ("listening" with your eyes) and
expressive (signing) skills. Students will continue to make comparisons and connections to their own culture.
Also, students will expand knowledge related to history, technology, art, culture, and the Deaf community.
Instruction is done in ASL ("voices off") most of the time with some Spoken English for support.
Pre-requisite: ASL I

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE III
Level: III- Advanced Credits: 05
ASL III is an intermediate course designed to build on what students learned in ASL I and II. It further
emphasizes the Deaf community as a linguistic and American cultural minority, and the importance of
language, values, traditions, and diversity. Students will expand their vocabulary and ability to express
themselves more fluently in ASL. Also, students will fine tune their receptive skills and learn more in depth
information regarding space, classifiers, role shifting, storytelling, numerical incorporation, negation, tense,
glossing, etc. Course instruction will be taught in ASL "voices off."
Pre-requisite: ASL II

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